Loving Hearts
by Mad Library Scientist
Summary: When Sienna Brooks contracts a life-changing condition, her next conversation with Robert could make or break their relationship. Takes place a year after the events of Trusting Hearts
1. Sienna's Dilema

Chapter 1

At long last, the sequel that I promised is here!

As with the original story, thoughts are in _italics_, while normal speech is not.

I do not own Inferno; the story and the characters within are property of Dan Brown. I'm merely borrowing them!

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_'Ugh... I swear to god, I'm never going to that restaurant again...'_

This was the predominant thought going through Sienna Brooks' mind as she once again found herself in front of her toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Sienna proceeded to sit backwards on her heels, and contemplate her current predicament.

It all started about one week ago, when she and Robert went out on one of their bi-monthly dates. They had been seeing each other for just over a year now, and while they weren't yet living together - Robert was old-fashioned like that, a quality that Sienna personally felt was endearing - they still made love regularly. The previous week, they had gone to a new Thai restaurant in Boston, and the next morning, Sienna had found herself being violently ill in front of her toilet in her one bedroom apartment.

At first, she had passed it off as a minor case of food poisoning; Robert had had a similar experience with a bad batch of curry about 6 months prior, and it was so severe, that he had to cancel several of his classes. However, as the days went past with no change in the severity of her symptoms, Sienna decided to go to the pharmacy and pick up a few diagnostic tests.

Sienna was not stupid; her years in medical school left her with only a handful of illnesses of which her symptoms that had presented would signify. Luckily, one of the more serious conditions was easily determined, and now all she had to do was wait while one of the devices she picked up did its job.

_'Let's see,'_ she thought _'assuming that whatever I ate will be in my system for the next few weeks, I'm probably going to have to cancel my date with Robert tonight.'_

Sienna's expression fell, a frown marring her normally bright face.

_'I just don't know how to tell him. I mean, today is our first Valentine's Day together as a couple. Of course, he hasn't actually-'_

A soft beep echoed off the tiles of the small bathroom, rousing Sienna from her increasingly depressive thoughts. Looking down at the small object in her hand, she could feel herself grow faint, the blood rapidly leaving her face. She wobbled slightly, her sense of balance leaving her as her stomach plummeted, and ice gripped her heart.

"No..."

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And that's the first chapter done, after over a year in the making. The next chapter will be from Robert's perspective.

As a side note, this story will be significantly shorter than Trusting Hearts; certainly less than 5000 words.

As always, reviews are welcome, and I'm curious to know what you think!


	2. Robert's Arrival

Chapter 2

Here's the second installment! Now with 100% more Langdon!

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_'All right, I've got the reservations for dinner taken care of, the hotel room booked for the evening, and my gift is waiting in the car. All that I need to do now is pick up Sienna, and our Valentine's date can begin.'_

Such were the thoughts running through the mind of Professor Robert Langdon, as he made his way up the short flight of stairs to the floor on which Sienna's apartment resided.

This was their first Valentines Day date together as a couple. Last year, they were unfortunately unable to have a moment to themselves due to their respective obligations in the wake of Bertrand Zobrist's virus sweeping the globe. Sienna was out of the country attending a WHO seminar on the impacts the virus would have on medical care in Third World countries, and was therefore unable to see Langdon as often as she would like. Meanwhile, Langdon had been swamped with extra work due to taking on the classes of one of his colleagues, who had to go on maternity leave for a few weeks following the holiday break.

Fortunately, most of the hubbub surrounding Zobrist's work had since died down, apart from the rare times Sienna was called upon for her insight into the late genuis' work. The young doctor was able to settle down into a comfortable lifestyle in Boston, working in one of the city's hospitals as a nurse specializing in pathogenic illnesses. Privately, Sienna confessed to Langdon that it was very probable, given her knowledge of the subject, that a promotion would likely occur by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Langdon no longer had to pull double-duty at the university, and had much more free time to spend doing what he liked, whether it be reading a book that caught his eye, or spending quality time with the pretty doctor.

Pausing in front of Sienna's door, Langdon took one last moment to compose himself.

_'You're not some ignorant teenager, Robert. There's nothing for you to worry about. Besides, Sienna has about as much experience at this whole dating thing as I do...'_

Nodding silently to himself, Langdon took one last deep breath, and reached forward to knock on the apartment door before him.

For a moment, the hallway was silent, and then Langdon could hear the sounds of a chain being undone, followed by a deadbolt being unlatched. As the door slowly opened, Langdon greeted his date with a smile.

"Evening, Sienna. Your chariot awaits out front. You all ready... to... go...?"

Langdon trailed off as he took in Sienna's appearance. She appeared to be dressed in what she went to bed in the night before; a long t-shirt that Langdon distantly recognized as one of his own that he had left the last time he had visited Sienna. While Sienna's attire was certainly odd for this time of day, it was nothing compared to the expression currently on her face. Her normally straight blonde hair was in tangles, as if she had just gotten out of bed. Her brown eyes were slightly red and sunken, and Langdon could see the remnants of hastily dried tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Sienna," Langdon began slowly, "Are you... okay?"

Silently, she shook her head, and Langdon could see the beginnings of tears welling in her eyes.

"No, Robert..."

Her soft voice cracked, and she flung herself into Langdon's startled form. The professor could feel her body shivering, as Sienna broke down in his arms.

"I'm not."

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That's the second chapter done! Sorry about the delay! Originally, I was going to end this chapter with the ending of the upcoming third chapter, but I had a spike of creativity as I was writing this.

The next chapter will continue from Langdon's perspective.

Remember, reviews can only help me!


	3. Condition Clarifications

Chapter 3

Here's the third chapter!

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Carefully moving so as to not drop her, Langdon delicately half-walked, half-carried Sienna back into her apartment. After making certain that the door was once again bolted and latched, the professor led Sienna over to her couch and sat down beside her. Immediately upon sitting, the doctor latched once more onto Robert, clutching his jacket as if it were her only lifeline. After several minutes, Sienna's crying gradually tapered off to occasional sniffling, and soon stopped altogether. With a sigh, she pushed herself away from Robert, and sat beside him staring at her feet. Sensing she was taking the time to compose herself, Langdon took his time to look about the familiar setting of Sienna's apartment.

The main living area was lightly furnished. A basic kitchen, dining room, and living room divided by half-walls, with all the requisite furniture. The floor was predominantly hardwood, with large throw rugs placed in key areas, such as in front of a battered brown couch that had clearly seen better days. There was a television across from it, and a selection of Sienna and Langdon's favorite movies lay on a shelf below it. A hallway to the side led to the bathroom, a guest room, and Sienna's bedroom, which Langdon had visited on several occasions.

For several long moments, the couple sat there in silence; the only noises being the clock on Sienna's wall, and the muted sounds of city life outside her window.

After a while, Langdon decided to break the stalemate, and spoke up.

"Feeling better?"

Langdon could see her nod slightly. Using one hand, Sienna wiped her eyes on the back of her forearm.

"Yeah..."

Turning finally to face her fully, Langdon decided to press the issue further. It wasn't every day after all that one saw a strong-willed woman such as Sienna reduced to a crying mess, and combined with her haggard appearance, the professor knew that something was very wrong.

_'Did something happen at the hospital?'_

Deciding that wondering about the cause of her tears would get him nowhere, Langdon decided to at last broach the subject.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about, Sienna?"

For a moment, the young doctor was silent, and Langdon had the distinct impression that she was gathering her thoughts and steeling her nerves. Taking a calming breath, Sienna at last spoke.

"Do you remember, Robert, how I've been feeling ill for the past few days...?"

Langdon nodded. He recalled clearly how the morning after their last date, Sienna had been violently ill, and was unable to keep anything in her stomach. Unfortunately, Robert had classes to teach that afternoon, and had therefore been unable to care for her as he had liked. However, Sienna had promised him that if she felt worse, to call him right away. His phone hadn't rung at all that day, so the professor assumed that his lover had either gotten better or had a colleague from work drop by to take care of her.

"Yeah. Food poisoning from the restaurant, if I recall, but I don't see what that has to do with-"

Sienna was shaking her head slowly. Her eyes stared directly into Roberts with an intensity he rarely saw outside of their most intimate encounters.

"It wasn't food poisoning, Robert."

This was said with so much ominous trepidation, that Langdon's mind immediately went to the worst case scenarios. As a doctor who worked with deadly pathogens on a daily basis, Langdon knew that it was an incredibly risky profession. Sienna contracting something dangerous and/or deadly was not out of the question.

Langdon leapt to his feet in alarm. Sienna jerked in surprise, staring up at her lover with wide eyes.

"Oh god. You contracted something from the hospital, didn't you? Is it that Ebola virus that's been all over the news lately?!"

Sienna raised one hand in a placating gesture.

"Robert..." Sienna attempted to begin, but Langdon was too lost to his worried thoughts.

"Don't worry, Sienna. The odds of dying from that these days are rather low, especially here in America. We'll just have to put up with a quarantine for a few weeks..."

"Robert."

Langdon began pacing, his mind abuzz with thoughts.

"Who do we need to call to report this? One of your WHO contacts? The hospital? Do we even have enough supplies to last us for the duration of the quarantine?"

Unable to take his rambling anymore, Sienna stood up from the couch. Langdon immediately ceased talking, staring at her in surprise.

"Robert, I do NOT have Ebola!"

Langdon stared at her in confusion.

"Then wh-"

"I'm pregnant!"

Silence filled the small apartment, the echoes of Sienna's outburst quickly dissipating off the walls. The only things that Langdon could hear were Sienna's breathing, and his own heartbeat rushing in his ears. The only thing he could see was her face, slightly flushed, with an annoyed expression on her face at having to shout over him.

_'Pregnant...? Sienna's... pregnant?'_

Suddenly, Sienna's expression changed from mild annoyance to panic, her chocolate eyes widening and her face paling, as she took a step towards him. Langdon was at a loss as to why until he suddenly felt an intense pain in the back of his head as the ground suddenly rushed up to meet him. Almost immediately, darkness claimed him and he knew no more.

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That's the third chapter done! I tried my hardest in the first chapter to make it seem like Sienna's pregnancy wasn't the obvious answer to her ailment. How do you think I did?

The hardest part for me was the lines with Robert being a worrywart; was it good? Bad?

Originally, I had planned to have the last chapter of this story out by Valentines Day. Obviously, that didn't happen. I have 2, maybe 3 more chapters left in the story.

Remember, reviews can only help me!


	4. A Pregnant Pause

Chapter 4

This chapter primarily discusses the logistics of a pregnancy in a post-Zobrist world. There's a little plot development, but I enjoyed writing it all the same.

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The first thing Robert Langdon became aware of as he regained consciousness was that the back of his skull was pounding as if he had gone a round with Joe Frazier. The second thing that he noticed was that he was still on his back on the floor of Sienna's apartment. His mind sluggishly tried to piece together exactly what had happened.

_'Let's see... I came over to Sienna's place, we talked for a bit, and then...'_

It all came back to Langdon at once: Sienna's tears, his own frantic worrying that she had somehow contracted some sort of deadly disease from the hospital, and finally, Sienna practically shouting that she was pregnant with his child. After that, nothing.

Langdon groaned inwardly.

_'Don't tell me that I fainted; that's absurdly cliché.'_

Opening his eyes, he immediately noticed that Sienna was kneeling beside him, her brown eyes filled with tears. She gave him a watery smile.

"Welcome back."

Langdon groaned; his skull was still pounding, and he found it difficult to move his head without feeling like someone was beating it. Noticing this, Sienna's expression softened somewhat.

"Come on; let's get you up so I can take a look at that bump."

Carefully, Sienna helped Robert get to his feet, and led him back to her couch. The pair once more seated themselves on it, and both professor and doctor knew that there was much they had to discuss. For now however, the only thing Langdon cared about was getting an aspirin.

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Half an hour and one ice pack from Sienna's refrigerator later, Langdon was finally coherent enough to hold the conversation he and Sienna desperately needed to have.

"So, you're really pregnant?"

Sienna ducked her head slightly.

"Yeah. I took a pregnancy test this morning to confirm it."

Langdon looked at her in confusion.

"I would have thought that we would both be unable to have children. I mean, we were both in the waters where the virus originated; surely in that high level of concentration, we would have both been guaranteed to be sterile?"

Sienna shook her head.

"Bertrand's vector virus operated in a such way in that all human DNA would be altered so that one in every three individuals would be rendered sterile. The virus activates randomly to induce sterilization in the individual, while for two thirds of the population, the virus remains permanently dormant, and thus the individual would remain fertile. Our proximity to the epicenter of the virus' outbreak had no impact on whether or not we'd be sterile or not. We could've ingested millions of the virus; we'd still only have a one-in-three shot of becoming sterile."

She paused to take a breath. While Langdon knew the basics behind Zobrist's virus, in that its ability was to induce random sterilization to a third of the world's population, the actual nature of the virus eluded him, other than the fact that it was an airborne virus, as opposed to being transferred via bodily fluids like Ebola or HIV. He had been wading in the waters where the virus had been planted, and breathing in the air in the same location where it had been released, Langdon had assumed that between those two factors, that he was almost guaranteed to be sterile. To learn that Sienna was pregnant, with his child no less, was staggering, especially since he knew that she had been exposed to the same high-concentration levels of the virus. Langdon decided to pose a question that had been bothering him.

"So what are the odds of any two people both being fertile?"

One corner of Sienna's mouth twitched. Even though Robert's profession was in the fields of symbology, he wasn't ignorant of other fields, and he had certainly heard enough about the virus in the past 2 years to ask questions such as this.

"By my best guess, even though the world population is about 66 percent fertile, the odds of any two people both being fertile is about 4 in 9, or roughly 45 percent, mainly because statistically, the odds of any group all having the same trait decrease as the number of members in that group increases. For example, the odds of any three people all being fertile is about 30 percent."

Langdon gave her a bemused look.

"You seem to have put a lot of thought into this."

At this, Sienna gave him a wry look.

"Math has always been one of my strong suits."

The professor gave a soft murmur of agreement. Silence fell between the two for several minutes. Sienna spend this time staring at Robert from her position on the couch. Next to her, Robert was staring at the floor of the apartment in contemplative silence. After a moment, he looked up at Sienna, his face carefully blank of any outward emotions.

"So, how far along are you?"

Sienna shrugged.

"About two months, give or take. If I had to guess, I'd say it happened during your holiday break, when we both had some time off. I missed my period a while back, and I thought nothing of it; I've always been irregular, and I assumed that everything was normal. It was only today that I just confirmed that I am in fact pregnant."

Silence. Robert's expression was indecipherable; normally, the young doctor had no problem knowing what the professor was thinking. Nervously, Sienna tentatively continued, unconsciously wringing her hands together.

"I- I know that you and I had never discussed the possibility of children. It's certainly going to be difficult, between your obligations to the university, and mine to the hospital, but-"

Sienna suddenly saw Langdon's eyes take on a look that she could only describe as hardened resolve. Without saying a word, he quickly stood up and strode out of the apartment. The wooden door closed with an air of finality, leaving the pregnant doctor alone in a stunned silence.

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What a twist! I bet you were expecting a happy ending, weren't you?

Happy Valentine's Day.

Only 1 more chapter to go!


	5. Tears

Chapter 5

Here it is, the final chapter. I'm keeping my comments here to a minimum, so as to not spoil the ending for you.

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As the door closed, Sienna stared at the entryway of her apartment in stunned silence. Gradually, tears once again began to build up in her chocolate eyes, as she felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

_'He... He left. He's not coming back...'_

This was what she had feared; the news of her pregnancy driving away the one man to whom she had pledged her heart to. Sienna Brooks was no stranger to heartbreak: her first love, Bertrand Zobrist, had committed suicide shortly before she met Robert. And now the same professor, the father of her child, had just decided to walk out of her life without so much as saying a word.

The pain was unbearable; Sienna sank to her knees on the hardwood floor of her apartment, and wept. She cried for herself, the loneliness she would have to face, dealing with her pregnancy without Robert's support and guidance. She also wept for her unborn child, who would come into the world and live without ever knowing its father. Never knowing of the man responsible for bringing him or her into the world. And one day, her child would inevitably ask her:

"Mommy? What was my daddy like?"

And it was with that thought that Sienna Brooks fully succumbed to her grief, as a wail echoed within the small apartment.

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Time was meaningless to Sienna; she did not know whether she had been crying for minutes or hours. All she knew was that she was drawn out of her sorrow by a soft, hesitant voice.

"Sienna...?"

She had to be hearing things. Her despair was playing tricks on her senses. There was no way that what she had heard could mean what she desperately hoped it meant.

Hesitantly, the doctor raised her head, and slowly opened her eyes.

Standing before her, slightly blurred by her tears, was a decidedly uncomfortable looking Robert Langdon.

For a moment, the pair stared at each other in tense silence. Slowly, tears began to gather once more in Sienna's eyes, only these were borne of anger of frustration. Furiously wiping her eyes, she stood up and faced Langdon. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, she tersely addressed the professor.

"Come back to stomp on my heart some more? Was abandonment not enough for you?"

At this, Langdon started, and looked at the blonde in astonishment.

"What? Sienna, I didn't abandon-"

"Look, if you're worried about the baby, don't worry; I won't tell anyone it's yours. You don't have to do any sort of child support, and you will never have to hear from me again."

"I wasn't-"

But the professor's words were falling on deaf ears. As Sienna began raising her voice, she looked at him with an expression Langdon had never seen on her face before: a sneer of contempt bordering on outright hate, complemented with a flushed and angry complexion.

"So if that's all you came back to tell me, _Professor_ Langdon, then you can get the _fuck_ out of my apartment and let me get on with my life."

At Sienna's harsh words, Langdon's own expression hardened. Squaring his shoulders, he stared directly into a pair of angry brown orbs, still shiny with furious tears.

"I'm not about to let the mother of my child, the woman that I love, go through this alone."

For a few seconds, what Langdon said didn't seem to register with Sienna. Then, like a switch, her angry eyes widened in astonishment; her mouth lost its scowl, and she stared at the professor in absolute shock.

"W-what?"

Langdon smiled nervously.

"I probably should have explained just why I left, shouldn't I?"

Mutely, Sienna nodded. Still looking sheepish, Langdon continued.

"Well, I was going to give this to you at dinner..."

Reaching into his pocket, the professor pulled out a small velvet box; Sienna's eyes immediately became fixed upon it. Intellectually, she knew what was inside such a box, but never in her wildest dreams did she believe that this could happen to her. A soft cough from Robert caused the doctor's wide eyes to avert their gaze from the box back to the professor's face.

"I figured that, we've known each other for over two years now; we've been a couple for the majority of that time. We know each other's faults, and accept each other for who we are. You told me all those months ago that you felt like you were in love with me. Do you remember what I said?"

Dumbly, Sienna nodded. That winter's morning was forever etched into her memory, as was Robert's words on the subject:

_~"I can't return your feelings _yet_. I barely even know you..."~_

Robert smiled.

"As I was saying, I now know much more about you that I did then. I know your thoughts on yourself, myself, and those important to you; I know your hopes and your fears. Most importantly, however, I now know how I feel about you."

Sienna simply stared at the professor in shocked silence.

"I know that I want you in my life every day. I want to spend my mornings and my evenings with you in my arms, and when we have to be apart, I want nothing more than to hear your voice. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life. The fact that you're pregnant isn't going to drive me away, Sienna; if anything, the baby is simply a result of the love we have for one another, and I have no intention of letting you go through this without me being with you every step of the way."

At this, silent tears once more began to stream down the young doctor's face; tears of joy and relief. Before she could open her mouth, Robert got down on a knee.

"Sienna Brooks, will you let me be by your side? Will you marry me?"

Opening the box revealed a simplistic diamond ring. Sienna's hands flew to her mouth, as her eyes produced even more tears. While not the most elaborate ring she had ever seen, to her it was nothing short of beautiful. Other than that one movement, however, she gave no outward reaction. After a few moments, Robert's hopeful smile began to falter somewhat.

"Of course, if you don't want to, I can always just mmpht..."

Langdon's words were abruptly cut off as a tongue was shoved into his mouth. Sienna had all but launched herself at his kneeling form. The impact threw both of them to the apartment floor, and it was several minutes before either of them broke for air. Once they did, the professor could only stare up into the face of the woman he loved; her brown eyes were shiny with joyous tears, and her face was lit with a luminous smile.

Beaming, Sienna said only one word.

"Yes."

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_In quella parte del libro de la mia memoria,_

_dinanzi a la quale poco si potrebbe leggere,_

_si trova una rubrica la quale dice:_

Incipit vita nova.

-Dante Alighieri's La Vita Nuova

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And that brings Loving Hearts to a conclusion! Now for some final authors notes:

First and foremost, the chapter title. I decided to name it "Tears" because Sienna shed them for three different reasons: sadness, anger, and joy. Also, the title would mislead readers who have read the whole story into thinking that the ending of this story was a sad one.

I just want to point out if it wasn't clear, that Robert was going to propose that night, regardless of Sienna's condition. Her revelation that she was pregnant just moved his itinerary forward a bit.

Savvy readers will have seen this coming; I left a couple of clues:

First and foremost, I had Sienna describe Langdon in chapter one as "Old Fashioned". He would never allow his child to be born out of wedlock, and so he rushed back to his car to get the ring, so as to propose to her as soon as possible.

The ring was also hinted at in chapter 2, when Langdon talks about his gift in the car.

That concludes my notes, but I have one more announcement to make.

I am planning to write a third and final part to my Hearts series. I had always planned it to be a trilogy, and now that the second part is completed, it's just a matter of time now. I don't have a release date planned, so follow me here if you want to read it when the time comes.

This has been Mad Library Scientist, and I hope you enjoyed this tale! Again, Favorite or Follow this story or me if you liked it, and I would appreciate reviews!


	6. AN: Inferno Movie Fic!

AN: Inferno Movie Fic!

Hey everyone, MLS here. So, I went and saw the _Inferno _movie today (and let me state for the record that Felicity Jones is **_damn_** hot), and was inspired to write a you all a new Robert/Sienna fic!

Now, it won't be coming any time soon; for one, I need to get some of the dialogue from the film right, and I don't want to buy movie tickets every time I need to double-check it, so I have to wait until Inferno is released outside of theaters, so that I can either buy the DVD, or record it on the DVR for reference

At the earliest, I would expect to have it written by Summer of 2017, so if you're interested, drop me a Follow.

And now for what I can tell you:

There was one line the Provost says in the movie that I thought would be perfect, as it describes what a fanfic is at its very core, so without further delay, I would like to formally announce:

_Cinematic Hearts- A Manufactured Reality_

Coming Summer 2017!

This story may or may not be canon to the _Hearts_ trilogy; this idea is only an hour or so old at the time I'm writing this AN, so who knows? We'll see where my writing takes me.

Can't wait that long for one of my stories? I have a new fic already out for you! It's not a Robert Langdon story, but it can be found on my profile if you're interested.


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